Diamond performance fails to sparkle
Opera, as you may know, is for posh people in frocks watching fat ladies sing - in general about dying. If you know that then, like me prepare to have this information shattered. My husband introduced me to the opera season, that, like Glastonbury is driven by people who love music across all eras and genres. Humanity has been singing and dancing through all time and the music of opera captures our emotions as eloquently as Black Sabbath, Joan Baez and Oasis. Not for better, nor for worse , just another accessible string to our musical lives.
My rule though, is not to read up the plot before hand. If the direction is good it will be understood by a novice as well as a seasoned opera goer. And thus dear Reader, we end up at The Grange in Hampshire really looking forward to a ballet/opera -Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes with Hip Hop Dancing by the dance troupe Stucture Rualite
So we began. A large orchestra was on stage A woman stood up in the audience and started to sing, ‘All you who follow the laws of Hebe, rush to my voice’ Completely beautiful and lo! people rushed through the theatre doors, made their way to the stage and climbed on board. These were the dancers all of whom were dressed in dark clothing -looking says another reviewer as though they have shopped in charity store. The first singer pushed her way along the theatre row and also appeared on stage where she collapsed. (Dead already - surely not).
The theatre and stage were plunged into darkness. Was the orchestra playing from memory? A light sabre appeared and threw no light upon the scene. A man playing the Northumbrian bag pipes (I think) walked around the stage - perilously what with the lack of light and fallen bodies. It was incredibly difficult to make anything out in the murk. A circle cleared and a woman danced superbly her long pigtail swinging in rhythm. It reminded me of a lec where birds of paradise dance - it was just marvellous and then the gloom descended again and people were singing in darkness once more.
Early on all chance of understanding plot disappeared. A round circle with an Alexa like vibe glowed in different colours above their heads - from red, Alexa blue and orange. A man sang he was going to throw himself into the volcano (?) and the light came down and crushed him circa Star-Trek 1967.
Behind us the next row proved restless. What is this? I am bored? A man turned on his mobile phone repeatedly in order to work out the time. It was fearfully distracting and tragic as this was the point where the quality of the music just soared. There was the most exquisite flute duet with a character that was sung high in the gallery across the theatre. In pen and ink, I can not give true justice the beauty of this work and the musicianship on show. Just gorgeous.
It wasn’t just the row behind that was problematic. The first half of the production really failed the dancers. The crowded stage meant that most of the troupe were restricted in their movements and reduced to whirling trashy gold cloths in a circle around their heads. But worse when we weren’t trying to ignore noises off from behind, the troupe would crash through stage doors to join us. Where they did nothing! Lounged on the balcony in front of us or slowly marched around the theatre before walking off again. They had one section where the gold cloth was whirled about and nearly hit audience members about their heads. The Alexa light thingy rose up and cast the dullest of rays around the building. Many of which spot-lit light switches and operational notices pinned to the wall. Why? Why, just why? my OCD kicked in. Adjust the angle of the rays please dear God! Did no one sit in the audience and check this?
Eventually I just closed my eyes and that was eye-opening. The quality of the playing and singing could not be bettered. It was a glorious bath of golden sound that soothed everything.
At the end of the first half we staggered out, I was shaking with laughter what with the row behind and the general randomness of its direction. Just bonkers I said to my friend and we clutched each other, fans racing as it had been fearsomely sauna like in the theatre.
Then ding, ding, round two. The second half suddenly found its meaning in life. Hurrah. I will ignore the Alexa light thingy that was meant to be delivering light sabres and failed. Dancers were tugging at them for a few moments before they could get them to detach. No we shall draw veil over this nonsense staging. Focus.
A slight increase in light levels revealed the orchestra and its most unusual instruments. A man sang while accompanying himself on a theorbo. . There were two harpsichords on stage and the one which I could see, the player was going at it like she was having sex. Her hands bounced in orgasmic fashion down the length of the keyboard. Blinding confidence - like Freddie Mercury in concert. Never has a harpsichord appeared to be so alive, keys throbbing with pleasure. Please more light. All she needed was drums - and YES! drums showed up. This would give Glastonbury a run for its money any day. In the back ground of stygian gloom, a cello seemed to be behaving like a rockstar’s electric guitar.
Then the instruments were pushed back and the troupe did their thing. Absolutely bang on square beat dancing. Fantastic. I forgive them for lolling about in the audience. My only anxiety was that their stab and kill dance bore no relation to the sur titles above them. These spoke of peace, love and general happiness now that the grave error of violence had been recognised and we had all changed our ways.
Love and peace man. Expect to see this on the Pyramid Stage at a festival field near you very soon ;-)
I loved it. On going back to read the program notes; this staging was drawing out the horror of colonial empire as brave ‘explorers’ of the West, discovered the native peoples of the East . I say that if you are going to do that, fear neither light nor colour to aid your narrative. The age of the audience is mainly of the Windrush generation. I grew up in multi-cultural High Wycombe in the 1960s. We are not so shocked by difference as the director seemed to think.
This is such an unusual staging that I am sorry that the season is now almost over at The Grange as I would urge you to go. This is a diamond production - but it lacks some depth and clarity. With just a little more cutting and attention to detail it would have been flawless.
The Grange Festival | Opera, Jazz & Dance | 4 June - 6 July 2025 | Opera & Jazz 2025